Ngaiotonga Route / Russell Forest

Wednesday 3rd March Ngaiotonga Route / Russell Walkway 21.5 km 9.25 hours

The forecast rain happened overnight, with a fine crisp morning to set off on a tramp along a ridge. A good climb to Te Ranga Trig then relatively gentle ups and downs to the junction with the Russell Walkway - 3 hours in. Grateful for my 2 walking poles today as it was slippery underfoot.

The next section looked easy on the map (being an old forest road), so I did not understand the long time estimate on the DOC sign. The track started off relatively easy to follow, but a lot of gorse to avoid. Great views at one point back over to the Waitangi - Opua Coast

Then within less than 2 km from the junction with the exit track, the first of several major slips, with no sign of where the track went afterwards. The first one required a lot of scouting about and careful reading of the GPS to find that the track was at the bottom of the slip and heading off in a different direction. The undergrowth was getting closer and closer, with gorse all around. Next slip - climbed over that one and used the presence of gorse bushes to tell me where the track resumed.

Slip number 3 really bad - climbed above it to the a slip further up the hill - clambered over that and gave up on the track, knowing that the exit track was not far away. So bush bash to the top of the ridge, sidled around, spotting a line of gorse (= track) way below, and then eventually hit the exit track.

This track was a real gem, with avenues of kauri trees for at least half way down the ridge. After that a 4WD road walk out to the main road.